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United States Government
  

United States Government

Recommended Prerequisite:  None

Grades Offered:  9-12

Credit:  1/2

SDE Course Code:  3407

MNPS Course Code:  SST5350

 

Course Description

 

This course focuses on the United States’ founding principles and beliefs.  Students will study the structure, functions, and powers of government at the national, state, and local levels.  The roles of political parties, lobbies, and interest groups are included.  All students are required to take Government for graduation.

 

Course of Study

 

  • Foundations of American Government
    • What is Government?
      • Historical development of structures of power, authority, and governance
    • Forms of Government
      • Economic systems and political structure
    • Themes of Government
      • Locke’s concept of life, liberty, and property as natural rights
      • Impact of political systems on world cultures
      • Impact of physical and human geography on given political systems
    • Origins of American Government
      • British Contributions
      • Declaration of Independence
      • Articles of Confederation and the Critical Period
      • Importance of a written constitution
    • American beliefs and principles reflected in the U. S. Constitution
      • Basic Principles set forth in the Preamble
      • Constitutional contribution to formation of national identity
      • Constitutional provisions for limiting the role of government, including republicanism, federalism, separation of powers, popular sovereignty, and individual rights
      • Provisions for checks and balances in the three branches of       government
      • Amendment process
    • Federalism
      • National Supremacy vs. States’ Rights
      • Categorization of powers as national, state, or shared
      • Historical conflict over roles of national and state governments
      • Interstate Relations
      • Politics of Federalism (fiscal, regulatory)
  • Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
    • Roles of limited government
    • American Political Environment
      • Personal Freedom and Social Welfare
      • Distribution of Power
      • Majority Rule and Minority Rights
      • Civil Rights
      • Civil Rights and Criminal Justice- Equality Before the Law
      • Diversity and Discrimination
      • Federal Civil Rights Laws
    • Civil Liberties
      • First Amendment Freedoms
      • Protection of Individual Freedoms (Due process, rights of accused)
      • Rule of law in the protection of individual rights
  • Politics of Participation
    • Public Opinion and Political Socialization
      • Public Opinion and Democracy
      • Agents and Processes of Socialization
      • Forming Political Opinions
      • Political Interest Groups
    • Political Parties
      • Functions of Political Parties
      • History of Two-Party System and nature of major and minor parties
    • Campaigns and Elections
      • Suffrage
      • Voter Behavior
      • Funding and Campaign reform
    • Politics and the Media
      • Media and Freedom of Press
      • Media and Politics
      • Impact of Media on Public Policy
    • Rights and Obligations of United States citizenship
      • Legal Obligations
      • Civic mindedness
  • American Political Institutions
    • Congress         
      • Organization and structure of Congress (parties, leadership, committees)
      • Function of Congress (legislation, representation)
    • The Presidency
      • Constitutional Basis of Presidential Authority
      • Expansion of Presidential Powers
      • Role of the Cabinet and executive departments
      • Executive Bureaucracy
        • Functions of independent agencies, regulatory commissions (NASA, etc.) and the Federal Communications Commission
    • The Judiciary
      • Structure and Functions
      • Federal Court System
      • Types of Jurisdiction
      • Role of the United States legal system (civil and criminal court systems)
      • Issues raised by judicial activism and judicial restraints
  • Politics and Public Policymaking
    • Policymaking Process
      • Responsibilities of the federal government for domestic, economic, foreign, and defense policies
    • Domestic Policy
    • Economic Policy
      • Connection among resources and institutions that govern management and distribution of resources
      • Economics as a “tool of foreign policy” (i.e. alliances, economic aid, economic sanctions, trade agreements, propaganda, military aid, treaties, troop movements, and wars to promote national interests)
      • Government Intervention in the Modern American Economy     
    • Foreign and Defense Policy
      • Roots and Evolution of Foreign and Defense Policy
      • Contemporary Challenges in Foreign and Defense Policy
  • Comparative Political and Economic Systems
    • Similarities and differences existing among the United States system of government and other political systems
      • Federal, confederate, and unitary systems
      • Presidential and parliamentary
      • Basic concepts of capitalism, socialism, communism
  • Participation in State and Local Government
    • Governing the States
    • Local Government and Finance

Reading:  In addition to use of the adopted text, students are expected to read from a variety of sources including essays, speeches, newspapers/periodicals, maps, charts, graphs, political cartoons, and government documents.  Students are expected to gain literal understanding of readings and also interpret, analyze and evaluate information from the readings.

 

Writing:  Knowledge of contemporary political events is essential for the analytical focus that must be exhibited in the writing assignments.  It is highly recommended that students expose themselves to as many of the following sources as possible:  major newspapers; major news magazines, television and radio news programs. Students are expected to write regularly and effectively in various domains including narrative, descriptive, persuasive, analytical and practical.  Suggested written assignments include essays, book reviews, document based questions, journals and research papers.

 

Standards:

 

MNPS U. S. Government Standards

http://www.mnps.org/PageFactory.aspx?PageID=3354

 

TN State Department of Education Standards

http://www.state.tn.us/education/ci/cistandards2001/ss/cissusgovernment.htm

 

Textbook:

 

McClenaghan,William. Magruder’s American Government. 81st edition, Needham: Prentice   Hall, 2002.

 

Recommended and/or required resources:

 

  • Wall maps of the World, United States
  • Ancillary materials accompanying adopted text
  • Computers that are web accessible
  • TV-DVD/VCR
  • Primary Source Documents in U. S. government (The United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, Amendments to the U. S. Constitution, Amendments to the U. S. Constitution -- Not Ratified)
  • Garner, Bryan.  Black’s Law Dictionary, 8th edition,  Minnesota: West Group, 2004.
  • Freedom Forum, First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt (615-321-9588)
  • Center for Civic Education (http://www.civiced.org)